ALDER FLYCATCHER
<b>ALDER FLYCATCHER</b> – <i>(Empidonax alnorum</i>) – (See images below)<br />
<b>DESCRIPTION:</b> The Alder Flycatcher has olive green upper
parts with two white bands on the wings. The under parts are whitish.
The bill, eyes, legs and feet are charcoal. <b>Sexes are similar</b>. This bird is about 15 cm (6 inches) long.<br />
<b>VOICE:</b><a href="https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Empidonax-alnorum"> https://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Empidonax-alnorum</a><br />
<b>NAME: </b>This bird has a very straightforward name:
‘Alder’ for its habitat, and ‘Flycatcher’ for its diet and the way it
catches insects. The Latin genus name ‘Empidonax’ means ‘king of the
gnats’, and the Latin species name ‘alnorum’ means ‘of the alder’.<br />
<b>HABITAT: </b>Wetlands with alders, maple and birch.<br />
<b>DIET: </b>As the name implies, these birds catch insects on the fly, but they also forage on tree leaves.<br />
<b>NESTING: </b>The nest is located in a thick shrub not far
from the ground. About three creamy eggs are laid, incubated by the
female. Both parents feed the chicks.<br />
<b>DISTRIBUTION:</b> This bird is a North American species.
The breeding range covers most of Canada and Alaska up to the tree line,
and northeast USA. During migration it is found in the eastern half of
the USA and in Mexico. For the winter it is found in northwest South
America.<br />
<b>DISTRIBUTION MAP: </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_flycatcher#/media/File:Empidonax_alnorum_map.svg">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_flycatcher#/media/File:Empidonax_alnorum_map.svg</a><br />
<b>ON PEI: </b>The alder flycatcher breeds on Prince Edward Island and is common. It is uncommon in the fall and absent in the winter.<br />
<b>CONSERVATION: </b>There has been a decline in the
population of this species in Canada over the last few decades, but
otherwise this bird is not currently considered at risk.<br />
<b>NOTES: </b>The Alder flycatcher is part of the tyrant family.<br />
<b>SIMILAR SPECIES: </b>This bird is very similar to the <a href="https://www.birdsofpei.info/p/willow-flycatcher.html" target="_blank">Willow Flycatcher,</a>
which is found in the same type of habitat – wetlands where willows and
alders grow. The only way to tell the two species apart is from their
vocalizations.<br />
<b>REFERENCES: </b><a href="https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/alder-flycatcher">https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/alder-flycatcher</a><br />
<a href="https://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/toc.jsp">https://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/toc.jsp</a> (<b>Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas</b>)<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_flycatcher">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_flycatcher</a><br />
<a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Alder_Flycatcher/id">https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Alder_Flycatcher/id</a><br />
<a href="https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/alder-flycatcher">https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/alder-flycatcher</a><br />
<a href="https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/650/overview/Alder_Flycatcher.aspx">https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/650/overview/Alder_Flycatcher.aspx</a><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4khhYh8v_-U_G07kBGQ5YYhGr45a854mBk9DDjid5E3Oz7Dg9IVqMRSoMig7P7znF-lKDP1JhoiB-P_5AEwQ5o01ehGm6BjYZedNSJW10JY3CqyPwvcO3SW6tBMsFU-EjRZJtktaP8g/s1600/Alder-flycatcher-in-the-rain-North-Rustico-PEI-June-10-2017-%25C2%25A9-Matt-Beardsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Alder flycatcher in the rain – North Rustico, PEI – June 10, 2017 – © Matt Beardsley" border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="999" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4khhYh8v_-U_G07kBGQ5YYhGr45a854mBk9DDjid5E3Oz7Dg9IVqMRSoMig7P7znF-lKDP1JhoiB-P_5AEwQ5o01ehGm6BjYZedNSJW10JY3CqyPwvcO3SW6tBMsFU-EjRZJtktaP8g/s200/Alder-flycatcher-in-the-rain-North-Rustico-PEI-June-10-2017-%25C2%25A9-Matt-Beardsley.jpg" title="Alder flycatcher in the rain – North Rustico, PEI – June 10, 2017 – © Matt Beardsley" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Alder flycatcher, PEI, by Matt Beardsley</span></td></tr>
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